House of Cards
by Channel D
Summary: Very early in Tim's time with Gibbs' team, he and Tony are sent out on what should be a routine, safe, field investigation. In two chapters, we see their reports of the mission. Written for the NFA Haiti Relief auction.
1. Chapter 1

**House of Cards**

**by channelD**

_written_: as a Haiti auction set of two ficlets.  
_rating_: K plus  
_characters_: Tim and Tony  
_prompt_: I was requested to have the same story told from two different points of view. This, therefore, comes in two parts.

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_disclaimer_: I own nothing of NCIS.

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**1.**

**NCIS Standard Field Case Report**

_form No. NCIS-307 (DOD approved), May 1999. Prior editions are obsolete._  
_Please type or print neatly, using black or blue ink._

**Reported by: **Probationary Special Agent Timothy McGee

**Date of report:** October 2, 2004

**Case No.:** 04-018-HQ

**SSA:** L. J. Gibbs

**Report Narrative**

On the afternoon of June 14, 2004, Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo and I were sent to investigate a lead in this case. The lead took us to a reported crack house at 1741 Carmel St SW, Washington DC. We would attempt to interview one Cyril David Feeley, who was reported to have been seen with the suspect, Larry DeWayne Cobb, shortly before Cobb was engaged in the shooting on the National Mall.

There was no answer to our knock at the door at the old building, which appeared to be about to fall down. I had misgivings about entering this house of cards, but I hoped we could make it fast and get out. Having a warrant, we forced entry. The house appeared at first glance to be abandoned, with a thin layer of dust everywhere. The electricity appeared to have been shut off. In searching the first floor, we found no inhabitants, but could see some footprints in the dust, indicating someone had been here recently.

With Agent DiNozzo in the lead, we proceeded up the stairs to the second floor. The dust was thick on the stairs, which creaked alarmingly. At one spot my foot went through a rotted stair, and I was slow in getting it extracted in the dim natural light while Agent DiNozzo continued on up. By the time I did so, he was out of sight. I stepped gingerly on the next step up, found it held my weight, and I then continued to the top.

Agent DiNozzo appeared then and told me not to come any further, saying that the floors there were in bad shape and might not hold both of us. He'd searched the rooms there and found no one and nothing notable. He shoved an evidence bag at me for me to carry—I think it was drug paraphernalia, but I didn't have time to check it. We decided to leave. Coming down from the second floor, the stairs seemed to shake, and a light fixture in the ceiling fell, clipping Agent DiNozzo's shoulder. He wasn't badly hurt. Another stair, and then another, crumbled beneath my feet and I fell. Agent DiNozzo was unable to stop soon enough and fell over me.

There was a great creaking sound, and then the ceiling started to come down. Agent DiNozzo shouted that we had to get out of there before the house collapsed on top of us. He'd gotten to his feet and was scrambling to get me to mine when a ceiling beam fell, pinning me on my back, and the rest of the ceiling was still falling. I tried to tell him to get out and save himself, but I'm not sure I got the words out. It was hard to talk. I was losing consciousness but I'm pretty sure I heard him say that he wasn't leaving me. I tried to argue. Then, as I tried to get free, I must have hurt something and I blacked out.

When I came to, the air was full of dust, but at least things had stopped falling. I could see up to the roof through the gaping hole in the ceiling. The roof at least hadn't fallen, yet. I was having a little trouble seeing, but I could make out Agent DiNozzo lying not too far away from me. I shouted his name, three times, and then he stirred. I asked him to call for help, since I couldn't reach my phone. He appeared dazed, and not able to understand me.

But he managed to get to his feet. Then, the door opened, and there was Cyril David Feeley, who looked in amazement at the destruction. I identified myself as a federal agent and said we wanted to ask him some questions. Instead of cooperating, Feeley drew a gun and aimed it at us, wavering between the two of us.

I could no more reach my sig than I could my cell phone. I didn't know what to do. The house creaked again, ominously. I don't remember what I said to Feeley, but it angered him. He got off a round, hitting my right arm, before Agent DiNozzo threw a chunk of plaster at him, knocking him over.

Then things got worse. More of the ceiling came down, and a wall collapsed. It was only a matter of time before the roof fell in. Surely one of the neighbors would call the police, but would anyone think to look in here before it was too late? I called to Agent DiNozzo to save himself, and to take Feeley out with him. Just because he's a suspect doesn't mean we shouldn't try to save him. I knew I had to face facts: It would take more time than we had to get me free. There was no reason why all of us should die.

And then…a miracle happened. There's no other term for it. I wiggled and…the beam holding me turned out to be rotted, too, for it broke and with Agent DiNozzo's help, I was able to pull myself out from under it. I don't know how it had managed to hold up the ceiling as long as it had, but I knew this was not the time to stop and think about that. I was sore but I could move, even though my arm hurt. (Gunshot wound referenced above; minor.) Agent DiNozzo pulled me to my feet and then we both dragged Feeley out through the door. I wanted to go back in for the evidence bag, which I am sorry I had dropped. Agent DiNozzo tackled me and prevented me from reentering the house. I was starting to feel shaky then, and I think I blacked out. Agent DiNozzo must have dragged me as far as the sidewalk as then more of the house came down. Emergency vehicles arrived. I only remember from there making sense of things in the hospital ER, with the doctor telling me I could go home shortly. I asked about Agent DiNozzo and was informed that he was being released within an hour as well.

I suggest that Agent DiNozzo be put in for a commendation. He is truly a hero.

_--Timothy McGee_


	2. Chapter 2

**House of Cards**

**by channelD**

**2.**

**NCIS Standard Field Case Report**

_form No. NCIS-307 (DOD approved), May 1999. Prior editions are obsolete._  
_Please type or print neatly, using black or blue ink._

**Reported by:** Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo

**Date of report:** October 2, 2004

**Case No.:** 04-018-HQ

**SSA:** L. J. Gibbs

**Report Narrative**

In connection with the Larry DeWayne Cobb narcotics investigation, I was sent out to interview a lead, a Cyril David Feeley, on 1741 Carmel St SW. Special Agent Gibbs had me take the rookie, T. McGee, along to get some experience. I could have done this all by myself, just for the record.

The sorry-excuse-for-a-house should have been condemned. It was, _after_ we were done there. We weren't expecting any trouble, it was just to be the usual interview-a-likely-uncooperative-witness on this fleabag street, and if he didn't answer questions willingly, we'd haul his rear end into NCIS for questioning.

No one answered our knock, and the doorbell didn't work. We broke in. The electricity was off. No one was about. We walked up rickety stairs to the second floor; McGee, behind me, catching his foot in a rotten step. I left him to his own bumbling devices and searched the second floor by myself. I found evidence of drug manufacturing, which I bagged. Going back down the stairs, I gave the evidence bag to McGee to carry. He then managed to break through _two more steps_ and I tripped over him. Then the ceiling started to collapse.

Quickly, McGee was pinned under a beam and I tried to help him but something hit me in the head. I blacked out. When I came to, McGee was shouting at me. Like I could do much then. It took awhile for my head to stop dancing the macarena. As it started to clear, Feeley came in the door. McGee idiotically let him know we were federal agents—Feeley might have helped us out if he hadn't known that. As it was, he started shooting and winged McGee before I brought Feeley down. He was out cold, thanks to a hunk of plaster.

The house was making sounds, and more of it fell. The far wall collapsed. The roof would probably fall in a matter of minutes, along with other beams. How Feeley had managed to live in this joint, I'll never know. McGee was yelling at me _again._ That kid has a set of lungs. This time he said something weird about me needing to grab Feeley and get the hell out while I still could. Like I'd leave a partner, particularly a junior one, behind. I thought he knew me by now. Not that I was sure I could even get out myself; that hit on the head had me more loopy than I'd admit to him. But Gibbs would skin me if I came back without the probie, so I had to figure out something.

Then somehow McGee got out from under that beam. He said it was rotted and just broke, but I don't know. In any event, He was soon helping me up and we were going out the door, when he said wait, we have to take Feeley, too. I guess he was right, and so we did. Then the dork wanted to back into a crumbling house to get the evidence bag that he'd dropped. I twisted his arm into a half-nelson and he took the hint. We about made to the sidewalk when the house caved in, like on a movie set. LEOs and EMTs were arriving. McGee stayed awake to insist that I get the first ambulance ride. I should have refused but I was still seeing hippos in tutus dancing in circles around my head.

I get the feeling that McGee might downplay his role in this, but I think he showed a lot of spunk today. Maybe even heroism. Do they make them like that anymore?

_--Anthony DiNozzo_

-END-


End file.
